Bicycle computer XOSS Nav Plus review
As an active cyclist, I'm always looking how to enhace my rides. One of the option is to have navigation available. You plan route in advance and you just execute it on the road. For this reason I was looking for bicycle computer, that would have GPS and could lead me on the road. Basicly, there are two ways how navigation could be executed: just breadcrumb of your path and highlighted path on maps. Having offline maps in liquid screen display was tempting. After some research I've decided to try XOSS company NAV+ device as my bicycle computer.
Specifications
- Dimension: 88mmx55mmx19mm
- Weight: about 67g
- Screen: 2.4 inch
- Resolution: 240×160
- Battery: 600mAh rechargeable lithium battery
- Working temperature: -10~50 ℃
- Waterproof level: IPX7
- Battery life: 33h in standard mode; 40h in low-power mode (affected by usage environment and temperature)
- Charging interface: USB-C
- Memory Capacity: about 10,000 hours
XOSS NAV+ features
- GNSS support (GPS, Galileo, Beidu)
- BT and ANT+ sensors
- Offline maps
- Various metrics
The XOSS NAV+ arrived in a well-packaged box, including mounts, a USB-C charging cable, and the main unit. The device uses Garmin-type mounts for easy attachment. Pairing with the mobile app was straightforward, and I also purchased additional accessories like a protective case and compatible sensors for speed and cadence, which were easy to set up.
I've rode few 100's kilometer before writing this review, so everything is from my experience.
Pros
- Liquid crystals display- clear to seen in bright light. Screen also has backlight, if needed;
- Beeping is loud enough to be heard durind busy city riding;
- GPS is accurate and connects to sattelite within 5 seconds. Mob app updates this when required, and you can force refresh if needed;
- Offline maps is accurate and shows most of paths. You can zoom in/out the current location, but you can not pan to sides to look around;
- Plenty of batery for multiple rides. It's is declared 33hours. I would not say that this endurance is possible, I would say 20-25 hours. Have not tested it though;
- Connects to XOSS Vortex speed and cadense sensors and Garmin heart sensor without issues;
- Route planning functionality inside applications works good. It also accepts GPX files (maybe some other types also) then you can upload path to device. There are plenty pre-made by comunity, that you can upload to device and ride.
Cons
- Map is always north oriented, not possible to rotate according riding direction;
- Map doesn't update, if you did not start tracking, even if the maps screen is not open;
- You can have up-to 20 routes, uploaded to device. Routes does not have name, only numeric ID- so sometime it is dificult to understand which route is the needed;
- Odometer is not moving, if not started tracking, even if speed sensor is connected. Speed is shown on screen, but odometer do not move;
- Imposible to reset odometer, so if handed over to a friend- it's not possible to start from fresh;
- Charging does not start, if i don't turn-on device. Tested with USB power meter- battery simply does not fill. Ihave to turn it on, device starts charging itself, and then I can turn it off and leave it to charge;
- When managing layout, there are some layouts in mobile application, when transfered to device- metrics shown switched places.
- Does not show any notifications from mobile phone on call or message;
- Very slow map transfer speed into device. Speed of the copying is about 300kb/s;
- Can not change GNSS configuration, it always stays GPS+Beidu;
- Once had a glich, that computer started, but screen did not shown anything. Just heard from the beeps that device active. Managed to shut-down and start again- it started normally;
- Missed possibility to track gear, how my kilometers rode with chain or tires or whatever you would like to track;
Evaluation
While there are several software-related issues that could be improved, the XOSS NAV+ is a solid and budget-friendly choice for cyclists. It may not match high-end Garmin or Hammerhead models, but for €60, it adds significant value to your rides. Considering its features and performance, I would rate it 8/10.
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